JP2004338765A - Cleaning method of container sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent either cleaning liquid or rinse water from entering a nozzles in a container sterilizer for spraying a sterilizer to both the inner surface and outer surface of a cup container or blowing hot air against the container. <P>SOLUTION: As a method of cleaning this container sterilizer 7 by spraying a liquid from above, air is a substantial non-germ state is jetted in advance from at least nozzles 22, 24 among respective nozzles arranged at the sterilizer 7 opened in the upward direction to spray sterilizer agent or blow off hot air, starting from a cleaning operation to a completion of cleaning operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container sterilizing device for previously sterilizing the inner and outer surfaces of the container being transported for the filling / sealing process by spraying a sterilizing agent and blowing hot air, and in particular, for such a container sterilizing device, The present invention relates to a method for cleaning the apparatus by spraying a liquid such as a cleaning liquid or rinsing water from above when the apparatus is not operating.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A cup-shaped container made of paper or plastic (hereinafter referred to as a cup container) is transported with a hole into which a container is inserted in a sterile area where an atmosphere of high air cleanliness is maintained. In the case where the contents are filled in the container and the opening of the container is sealed while the container is being transported while being held at a predetermined interval by the conveyor (retainer), the container is being transported toward the filling and sealing process by the transport conveyor. It has been conventionally performed that an inner and outer surface of an empty container is sterilized in advance with a sterilizing agent such as a hydrogen peroxide solution, and specifically, a high air cleanliness almost nearly aseptic. In a clean booth where the atmosphere is maintained, a gaseous disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide solution, etc.) is applied to the cup container being transported toward the filling and sealing process from above and below the container. Both inside and outside Spraying hot air with heated sterile air (air having a high degree of cleanliness close to aseptic) to dry and remove the disinfectant adhered to the surface of the container, thereby removing the empty container before filling. It is conventionally known to sterilize in advance (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-68142 [Patent Document 2]
JP-A-2002-193221
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, regarding the sterilization of containers in the previously known aseptic filling line for cup containers as described above, when the container sterilizing apparatus is washed after the filling operation is completed, conventionally, in a clean booth that is an aseptic area, first, After pre-washing the device by spraying rinse water, wash the device by spraying an alkaline cleaning solution, then spraying rinse water again to wash away the cleaning solution adhering to the device, and then heating the aseptic air. The device is dried by the hot air. At the time of washing such a container sterilizing device, for a spray nozzle for spraying a sterilizing agent toward a container or a drying nozzle for blowing hot air toward a container, a cleaning liquid or rinsing water is contained in the piping. After the rinsing water for rinsing the cleaning liquid in the aseptic filling area is not sprayed, it is dried by hot air of aseptic air flowing into the aseptic filling area.
[0005]
If the next day after the completion of the filling operation is a holiday, when washing the container sterilizing device, rinse the alkaline cleaning solution adhered to the device by spraying rinse water, and then further remove the acidic cleaning solution. The apparatus is dried with hot air after spraying and washing with rinsing water. Before operating the line, the sterilized air is heated with sterile air, and then the sterilizer (hydrogen peroxide solution) is sprayed on the sterilized air. The sterilizing state of the device is ensured by drying and removing the sterilizing agent attached to the device by hot air.
[0006]
In washing a container sterilization device installed on a sterile filling line of such a cup container, a nozzle for spraying a sterilizing agent on the outer surface side of the container and a nozzle for blowing hot air of aseptic air on the outer surface side of the container are provided. In order to spray or spray upward from the bottom side of the container, the nozzle is opened upward, whereas the cleaning liquid or rinse water is sprayed from above as described above to sterilize the container. When cleaning, the cleaning liquid and rinsing water enter the nozzle that opens upward, and when the equipment is dried with hot air, the cleaning liquid and rinsing water that has entered the nozzle deposit As a result, the nozzle may be corroded or the nozzle may be clogged.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and specifically, a container sterilizing apparatus that sprays hot air or sprays a sterilizing agent on the inner and outer surfaces of a cup container when cleaning the apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to prevent the cleaning liquid and the rinsing water from entering the nozzle.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a container sterilizing apparatus that sprays a sterilizing agent onto the inner and outer surfaces of a container being conveyed and then drys and removes the sterilizing agent attached to the container by spraying hot air on the inner and outer surfaces of the container being transported. As a method for cleaning by spraying a liquid from above when not in operation, a nozzle that opens at least upward of each of the nozzles provided in the device for spraying a sterilizing agent or blowing hot air, From the start of the washing to the completion of the washing, air which has been cleaned in a substantially aseptic state is jetted from the nozzle.
[0009]
According to the method as described above, when cleaning the apparatus, even if the nozzle of the apparatus is opened upward, air is ejected from the nozzle from the start of cleaning to the completion of cleaning. Further, liquid such as cleaning liquid or rinsing water sprayed for cleaning does not enter the inside of the nozzle.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a cleaning method of a container sterilization device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, about one Embodiment of this invention, FIG. 1: shows roughly the whole aseptic filling line of a cup container, FIG. 2: shows the principal part of the inner and outer surface sterilization apparatus installed in the aseptic filling line of a cup container. FIG. 3 shows a state viewed from the side (a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction), and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing a part of a pipe of a disinfectant spray nozzle, as viewed from the front (transport direction).
[0011]
In the present embodiment, as for the aseptic filling line for cup containers, as shown in FIG. 1, for each container (not shown) separated from the stacked state and supplied to the line, a plurality of containers are conveyed by a conveyor (retainer) 3. A device 4 for detecting overlap of containers and separating and removing the overlapped containers while continuously transporting the containers in a row (for example, 7 rows as shown in FIG. 3), and removing static electricity from the containers and attaching them to the containers. After passing through a device 5 for removing dust by vacuum, a disinfectant is attached to the inner surface side of the container, and then an internal disinfecting device 6 for drying with hot air and cooling with aseptic air, and disinfectant is attached to both inner and outer surfaces of the container After passing through an inner / outer surface sterilizing device 7 which is dried by hot air and cooled by aseptic air, the contents are filled into the sterilized empty container by the filling device 8.
[0012]
Next, for each container filled with the contents by the filling device 8, the air in the head space of the container is replaced with an inert gas such as nitrogen gas by the gas replacement device 9, and then the film 12 is placed on the opening flange portion of the container. The lid 12 is fed out from the film supply coil 13 by sequentially passing through a lid wire welding device 10 that welds in a linear manner and a lid welding / cutting device 11 that welds the film 12 to the opening flange of the container in a planar manner and then cuts the film. The opening of the container was sealed with a film-like lid (lid) with a sterilized film 12 immersed in a sterilizing solution in a sterilizing tank 14 and dried with hot air in a drying device 15, and then the lid portion was punched out. The collected film is collected in the film take-up coil 16, and the container sealed with the lid is passed through the lid seal seal inspection device 17. Are unloaded from the line is discharged from the conveyor 3 by output device 18.
[0013]
The aseptic filling line 1 as described above is installed in a clean room (a room with higher air cleanliness than class 10,000) including the attached parts not shown, and most of the main parts (see FIG. 1 is surrounded by a clean booth (a room with higher air cleanliness than class 100) in which the air cleanliness level is high.
[0014]
In addition, as for the transfer of the cup container in the aseptic filling line, it is efficient to perform the multi-row transfer in which a plurality of containers are simultaneously advanced in the width direction as described above, but in some cases, it may be a single-row transfer. Also, the filling and sealing may be performed one row at a time in the width direction (one piece in the case of single-row conveyance), or a plurality of pieces in the conveyance direction and the width direction (a plurality of pieces in the conveyance direction in the single row conveyance). In any case, the container is transported intermittently in order to temporarily stop the transport of the container when filling or sealing.
[0015]
Further, the transport conveyor used for transporting the cup containers has a conventionally well-known structure, and has a function of a retainer (holding tool) for holding each cup container at a predetermined interval. Although not shown, the cup container is fitted into a plurality of holes provided at predetermined intervals in each of the width direction and the length direction of the conveyor, and the opening flange portion at the upper end of the cup container is transported by the conveyor. This is a belt conveyor that transports a large number of cup containers at predetermined intervals while being placed on a surface.
[0016]
In the aseptic filling line 1 for cup containers as described above, the contents are filled in the filling process by the filling device 8, and the container opening is sealed in the sealing process by the lid wire welding device 10 and the lid welding cutting device 11. In order to seal the container, the advance of the container is temporarily stopped. However, during the stop of the advance of the container, the container sterilization process by the inner surface sterilizer 6 and the inner and outer surface sterilizer 7 is stopped. A spray nozzle sprays a gaseous germicide (for example, 35% hydrogen peroxide solution) toward each cup container, and then heats the cup container with hot air (for example, 240 ° C. hot air). By heating so that the temperature of the container itself reaches 80 ° C. in a heating time of 6 seconds, both the inside and outside surfaces of the cup container are sterilized.
[0017]
That is, in the inner surface sterilizing device 6, first, in the sterilizing agent spraying area, the gaseous sterilizing agent is sprayed toward the inner surface side of the cup container by the sterilizing agent spray nozzle disposed above the container, and then, In the hot air drying area, hot air is blown and heated by a hot air supply nozzle placed above the container, thereby sterilizing the container with the heated sterilizing agent and evaporating and removing the sterilizing agent attached to the container. Finally, in the cooling area, the heated container is cooled by aseptic air blown from the cooling device.
[0018]
In the inner / outer surface sterilizing apparatus 7, first, in the sterilizing agent spraying area, gaseous sterilizing agents are directed toward the inner surface and the outer surface of the cup container by the respective sterilizing agent spray nozzles disposed above and below the container. After spraying each, then, in the hot-air drying area, hot air is blown from each of the hot-air supply nozzles arranged above and below the container and heated, thereby sterilizing the container with the heated sterilizing agent. The disinfectant adhered to the container is removed by evaporation, and finally, in the cooling area, the heated container is cooled by aseptic air blown from a cooling device.
[0019]
Specifically, in the inner / outer surface sterilizer 7, as shown in FIG. 2, at three ports in the sterilizer spray area, the upper sterilizer spray is positioned on the axis coinciding with the central axis of the container 2. After spraying a gaseous germicide at a pressure of 0.2 MPa with each of the nozzle 21 and the lower germicide spray nozzle 22, the upper hot-air supply nozzle is provided at four ports in the hot-air drying area. Hot air of sterile air heated to a temperature exceeding 100 ° C. is blown at a wind speed of 15 m / s by each of the hot air supply nozzle 23 and the lower hot air supply nozzle 24 to dry the germicide attached to the container 2. After the removal, in the cooling area, the container 2 is cooled by blowing sterile air at normal temperature from above with the cooling device 25, and then the sterilized container 2 is sent to the filling process (the filling device 8).
[0020]
In addition, in this inner / outer surface sterilizer 7, a guide 30 composed of a pair of right and left round bars is used so that spraying of the sterilizing agent and drying with hot air can be performed reliably even on the back side of the flange portion of the cup container 2. By guiding the bottom of the cup container 2 to be lifted, the flange portion of the cup container 2 is conveyed so as to float from the conveyor (retainer) 3, and the interval between the pair of left and right round bars of the guide 30 is set in the conveyance direction. In this way, the disinfectant can be sprayed or hot air can be sprayed without leaving the entire surface of the bottom of the cup container 2.
[0021]
The gaseous germicide sprayed by each device 6, 7 in the container sterilization process is aseptic air supplied through a filter, a regulator and a solenoid valve by driving a compressor, and liquid supplied by a pump from a storage tank. Germicide (for example, 35% hydrogen peroxide solution) was mixed through a two-fluid nozzle (a liquid mist was atomized) and then surrounded by a heating chamber through which high-temperature steam was passed. It is introduced into the gasification chamber, and the mist disinfectant is heated inside the gasification chamber and vaporized into a gaseous state.
[0022]
Regarding the spraying of such a gaseous germicide, the transport conveyor is intermittently driven so as to temporarily stop the progress of the container when filling and sealing as described above, In each of the inner surface sterilizing device 6 and the inner surface sterilizing device 7, the gaseous sterilizing agent is intermittently sprayed from the respective sterilizing agent spray nozzles in accordance with the timing at which the progress of the container is temporarily stopped. ing. That is, by controlling the driving of the solenoid valve and the pump by the signal from the control device (control panel), the spray amount and the spray timing of the gaseous germicide from each germicide spray nozzle are controlled. .
[0023]
The specific structure of the gasification chamber and the heating chamber for heating the mixed mist disinfectant through the two-fluid nozzle to evaporate it into a gaseous state is not particularly limited, and is implemented as an appropriate structure. Although it is possible, in the present embodiment, the right part of the pipe to the sterilizing agent spray nozzle that is piped downstream from the two-fluid nozzle is a double pipe structure with an inner pipe and an outer pipe, The inside of the inner pipe is made into a gasification chamber and the space between the inner pipe and the outer pipe is made into a heating chamber. By heating, the germicidal mist in the sterile air fed to the germicidal spray nozzle through the inside of the inner tube is changed into a gaseous germicide.
[0024]
That is, as for the inner / outer surface sterilizing apparatus 7 in the container sterilizing step, as shown in FIG. 4, the pipes 26 and 27 of the sterilizing agent spray nozzles 21 and 22 are double pipes formed by an inner pipe and an outer pipe, respectively. When the pipe 27 of the lower nozzle 22 is described (the same applies to the pipe 26 of the upper nozzle 21, the description of the pipe 26 is omitted), and the inner pipe 27 a and the outer pipe 27 b are omitted. The space 27d between the spaces serves as a heating chamber, and the interior 27c of the inner tube 27a is heated by passing high-temperature steam (superheated steam) into the space 27d, so that the disinfectant is sprayed through the interior 27c of the inner tube 27a. The mist disinfectant in the sterile air supplied to the nozzle 22 is gasified and maintained in the gasified state. The heat source that passes through the space (heating chamber) between the inner tube and the outer tube may be replaced with steam (superheated steam) that generates drain, and may be oil that is easily heated and easily controlled.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 3, the inner / outer surface sterilizing device 7 in which the pipes 26 and 27 of the respective sterilizing agent spray nozzles 21 and 22 have a double pipe structure, as shown in FIG. In order to control the temperature of the disinfectant to be sprayed on the pipe 26 (or the pipe 27 of the lower disinfectant spray nozzle 22 or both the pipes 26 and 27), an outer pipe ( A temperature sensor 31 for detecting the temperature of the heating chamber) is installed, and a pressure sensor 32 for detecting the pressure inside the inner pipe is installed to detect clogging at the nozzle of each pipe. Have been. A high-pressure sterile air supply pipe 33 that is opened and closed by an automatic opening / closing valve 34 is connected to the pipe 27 of the lower sterilizing agent spray nozzle 22.
[0026]
In addition, this inner / outer surface sterilization device 7 (the same applies to the inner surface sterilization device 6) is provided above the device 7 (in the vicinity of the ceiling of the housing portion covering the device 7) in order to clean the device 7. ), A plurality of cleaning pipes 35 for spraying the cleaning liquid and the rinsing water are provided at appropriate intervals in the transport direction while extending in the width direction of the apparatus 7 (direction orthogonal to the transport direction). A cleaning nozzle 36 is provided near both ends of the cleaning pipe 35 so as to spray a cleaning liquid or rinsing water in a lateral direction so as to fall like rain.
[0027]
In the devices 6 and 7 in the container sterilization step in which the cleaning pipe 35 and the cleaning nozzle 36 are provided as described above, the devices 6 and 7 are operated in a state where the operation of the line is completed and the container is completely discharged. When cleaning is performed, spraying is performed from cleaning nozzles 36 provided at both ends of a cleaning pipe 35 installed above the apparatus (near the ceiling of the housing portion) (each nozzle 36 is positioned in the width direction of the apparatus). Spraying so as to cover approximately half the area), first spraying rinse water heated to 40 to 60 ° C. for about 5 minutes, and then spraying an alkaline cleaning solution for about 15 minutes. Further, rinse water heated to 40 to 60 ° C. is sprayed for about 5 minutes to wash away the cleaning liquid attached to the apparatus.
[0028]
Then, after the spraying of the cleaning liquid or the rinsing water is completed, aseptic air heated to 80 ° C. is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 36, and the germicide spray nozzles 21 and 22 and the hot air supply nozzle 23, The sterilization air heated to 80 ° C. is flowed into each of the pipes 26, 27, 28, and 29 for about 5 minutes to completely dry and remove the water remaining in the apparatus, thereby operating the line. After the cleaning, the cleaning of the devices 6 and 7 in the container sterilizing step is completed.
[0029]
In the cleaning of each of the devices 6 and 7 in such a container sterilization process, if the day after the end of the operation of the line is a holiday, the device adheres to the device in the cleaning of the device as described above. After washing off the alkaline cleaning liquid with rinsing water, it is further added that an acidic cleaning liquid heated to about 70 ° C. is sprayed for about 15 minutes, and then the rinsing heated to 40 to 60 ° C. Washing with water for about 5 minutes and drying with sterile air heated to 80 ° C. for about 5 minutes are performed.
[0030]
By the way, in the inner / outer surface sterilizing device 7 in the container sterilizing process, the lower sterilizing agent spray nozzle 22 for spraying the sterilizing agent on the outer surface side of the container and the lower side for blowing hot air on the outer surface side of the container. Because the hot air supply nozzles 24 are all open upward, the cleaning liquid or the rinse water sprayed from above is used for cleaning after the operation of each of the devices 6 and 7 as described above. However, there is a possibility that the cleaning liquid or the rinsing water may enter the nozzles 22 and 24 which are open upward, and the cleaning liquid or the rinsing water may enter the nozzles. The cleaning liquid or rinsing water that has entered inside remains as deposits, which may cause problems such as corroding the nozzles and clogging the nozzles.
[0031]
On the other hand, in the method of the present embodiment, in the cleaning of the devices 6 and 7 in the container sterilization process as described above, from the start of cleaning to the completion of cleaning, that is, the cleaning liquid is rinsed off by spraying the rinse water. Until the drying of the rinse water is completed, at least the inside of the respective pipes 27 and 29 of the lower sterilizing agent spray nozzle 22 and the lower hot air supply nozzle 24 provided in the inner and outer surface sterilizing device 7. The aseptic air is supplied and the aseptic air is ejected from the nozzles 22 and 24 so that the cleaning liquid and the rinsing water do not enter the nozzles 22 and 24 that open upward.
[0032]
The disinfectant spray nozzle 22 is capable of spraying disinfectant at a pressure of 0.2 MPa. However, as a result of a number of experiments, the disinfectant spray nozzle 22 was designed so that the cleaning liquid and rinse water do not enter the nozzle 22. It has been found that the pressure of the sterile air ejected from the nozzle 22 needs to be 0.3 MPa or more in order to achieve As described above, since the pressure at which the sterile air is ejected from the nozzle 22 at the time of the above-described cleaning becomes insufficient, the pipe 27 of the lower sterilant spray nozzle 22 is automatically provided as described above. A high-pressure sterile air supply pipe 33 that is opened and closed by an opening / closing valve 34 is newly connected so that the sterile air supplied by the high-pressure sterile air supply pipe 33 flows through the pipe 27.
[0033]
On the other hand, with respect to the lower hot air supply nozzle 24 as well, between the start of the cleaning and the completion of the cleaning, the aseptic air flows into the pipe 29 and the aseptic air is ejected from the nozzle 24, so that the cleaning liquid and the rinsing Although water is prevented from entering, in the case of the hot air supply nozzle 24, since the original hot air ejection pressure is sufficient, the pipe 29 of the lower hot air supply nozzle 24 is Instead of connecting a new high-pressure sterile air supply pipe, sterile air for drying is used as it is.
[0034]
According to the method for cleaning a container sterilization apparatus of the present embodiment as described above, in the inner and outer surface sterilization apparatus 7 in the container sterilization step, a nozzle for spraying a sterilizing agent or blowing hot air on the outer surface side of the container. (Lower nozzles) Despite the upward opening of the nozzles 22 and 24, the cleaning liquid and the rinsing water are reliably prevented from entering the nozzles 22 and 24 during cleaning of the apparatus. be able to.
[0035]
As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of the cleaning method of the container sterilization apparatus of this invention was described, the method of this invention is not limited only to the specific example shown in the said embodiment, For example, the inner and outer surface sterilization apparatus The lower sterilizing agent spray nozzle 7 is not limited to spraying the sterilizing agent from just below the bottom of the container as shown in the embodiment, but also sterilizes obliquely upward toward the corner around the bottom of the container. A spraying agent (see JP-A-2002-68146) and a spraying agent that sprays a disinfectant substantially linearly from below the container along the side wall of the container (see JP-A-2002-68142). In the above-described embodiment, the sterilizing air may be removed only during cleaning with the nozzles (lower disinfectant spray nozzle and lower hot air supply nozzle) disposed below the container in the inner and outer surface sterilizer 7. Squirting In some cases, in the inner and outer surface sterilizer 7 (and the inner surface sterilizer 6), aseptic air is also ejected during cleaning from the nozzles (the upper sterilizer spray nozzle and the upper hot air supply nozzle) disposed above the container. Needless to say, it can be changed as appropriate, for example.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
According to the method for cleaning a container sterilizing apparatus of the present invention as described above, when spraying a liquid such as a cleaning liquid or rinsing water from above to clean the apparatus, the nozzle of the apparatus is opened upward. However, no liquid such as cleaning liquid or rinsing water is allowed to enter the interior of the nozzle, and as a result, the liquid that has entered the nozzle dries and the residual deposits cause corrosion of the nozzle. Or clogging of the nozzle can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view schematically showing a sterile filling line for a cup container according to an embodiment of a method for cleaning a container sterilization apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view showing a main part of a container sterilizing device (an inner and outer surface sterilizing device) installed in a sterile filling line of a cup container when viewed from a direction orthogonal to a container conveying direction.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing an arrangement of disinfectant spray nozzle pipes and cleaning nozzle pipes in a disinfectant spraying area of a container disinfecting device (inner and outer surface disinfecting devices) as viewed from the container transport direction. FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view showing a part of a pipe of a disinfectant spray nozzle in an enlarged manner.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 containers (cup containers)
7 Inner / outer surface sterilizer (container sterilizer)
22 Nozzle for spraying disinfectant on the lower side (nozzle opening upward)
24 Lower hot air supply nozzle (nozzle opening upward)
27 Lower fungicide spray nozzle pipe 33 High-pressure sterile air supply pipe 34 Automatic open / close valve

Claims (2)

For disinfecting a container sterilizer that sprays a disinfectant onto the inner and outer surfaces of the container being transported and then removes the disinfectant attached to the container by spraying with hot air, and sprays the liquid from above when not in operation. As a method, at least one of the nozzles provided in the device for spraying a sterilizing agent or blowing hot air is opened upward, and is cleaned in a substantially aseptic state from the start of cleaning to the completion of cleaning. A method for cleaning a container sterilization apparatus, characterized in that the blown air is jetted from the nozzle. A pipe for supplying high-pressure air, which has been cleaned in a substantially aseptic state, is connected via an automatic opening / closing valve to a pipe of at least an upward opening nozzle of each nozzle for spraying a disinfectant. The cleaning method for a container sterilizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when cleaning the apparatus, air is ejected from the nozzle at a pressure higher than a pressure at which a sterilizing agent is sprayed. .

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